Key-coupler for organs



UNITED srarss Parent ferries. .Y

KEY-COUPLER FOR ORGAN Application filed April 19, 1917.

T 0 all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, HAROLD T. DnPUn, a citizen of .the United States,residing at Kensington, in the county of Montgomery and State ofMaryland, have invented certain new and useful ImproveL ments inKey-Couplers for Organs, of which the following is a specification. Y

This invention has reference to key couplers for organs, and its objectis to provide a simplified coupler construction for electric organactions, whereby the wiring is greatly simplified and liability oftrouble is correspondingly reduced.

In accordance with the invention each organ key included in the couplersystem is provided with a suitable number of electric contacts allpositively actuated by the key and all the contacts on the key, when thelatter is depressed,engage and move or rub on other contacts on a fixedpart of the organ structure, wherefore the contacting surfaces arealways kept bright.

In order that choice of coupler actions may be provided, coupler stopsare used, but all such stops are of extremely light action, since theonly work they have to do is the closing and opening of simple electricswitches, a single switch for each coupler, with the switch closing andopening a circuit through a single conductor, which conductor is thecommon or return conductor for all the key contacts under the control ofa single stop.

The invention therefore has the advantage of extreme simplicity and easeof movement with the parts particularly sturdy and reliable in action.

The invention will be best understood from a consideration of thefollowing detailed description, taken in connection with theaccompanying drawings forming part of this specification, with thefurther understanding that while the drawings show a practical form ofthe invention, the latter is not confined to any strict conformity withthe showing of the drawings, but may be changed and modified, so long assuch changes and modifications come within the scope of the appendedclaims.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a section lengthwise of an organ key takenthrough the console, or so much thereof as is necessary, at one side ofa key, the switchl devices controlled by the key being shown inelevation.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 3, 1921. Serial No. 163,230. l

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of thestructure of Fig. 1 and extended toshow three adjacent keys with the latter in section on the line 2 2 ofFig. l.

Fig 3 is a section on the line 3 3 of Fig. 1 but drawn on a largerscale.

Fig 4 is a section on the line 4 4 of F 1g. 2 but drawn on a largerscale.

`F ig. 5 is a section on the line 5 5 of Fig. 1 but drawn on a largerscale.

Fig. 6 `is a diagram showing .electric circuits.

Referring to the drawings there are shown i organ keys l. which may beconsidered as constructed in accordance with the usual practice in organbuilding, and hence need ing no particular description. is assumed 'tobe pivotally mounted on a pin 2 at its rear end, but this is a matter oforgan construction familiar to organ builders, and may or may not followthe particular showing of the drawings. v

Underneath the rear portions of the keys are boards 3, 4 in superposedspaced order joined by a rear upright board 5, the boards 3 and 4 beingconsid-,red horizontal or approximately so.

Extending 'through felt or other suitable bearings G in alined relationin the boards El and 4 are slidable pins 7, one for each key and engagedat the upper end by a set screw 8 in each key; At the lower ends thepins 7, which may be of metal and are upright, are engaged by springs 9Vwhich also may be of a construction. commonly employed in organs. Eachspring 9 is sustained at the end remote from the pin 7 and below thelower end thereof by an adjusting screw 10, whereby the tension ofthesprings 9 may be varied as desired.

Each pin or rod Zcarries a longitudinally extended web 11 of vulcanizedliber or other suitable insulating material, which in the particularshowing of the drawings projects radially from the pin and is set in aslot 12 formed lengthwise of the pin.

Carried by the board 5 are series ofwires, strips or other elongatedflexible members 13, the wires being arranged in upright series in theparticular showing of the drawings, and the wires are held firmly attheir rear ends in the board 5. .The wires 13 extend to the rear face ofthe board 5 where each wire is connected to a respective one of asuitable number of conductors 14.

At the front ends of the wires 3 and 4 are Each key j upright posts 15equal in number to the series or wires 13 and each post 15 is providedwith a Jace plate 1G which may be secured thereto by screws 17 orotherwise. The face plates 16 are wider in the direction of the lengthor' the organ manual than the posts 15 and each face plate is pierced byan upright series ot spaced holes or passages 18 through which the frontends ot the wires 13 extend.

Each post 15 carries an upright series ot contacts 19 which may be inthe forni of round metal pins, or may be of other shape.

The posts 15 are of insulating material, and the face plates 1G are alsoof insulating material, but as the current usually employed Vin electricorgans yis ot low voltage, say,

about ten volts, experience has shown that Vwood has sucient insulatingqualities to answer the purpose.

Each post 15V has a longitudinal groove 2O on its rear tace, and thisgroove is enter-ed by a group ofinsulated conductors 21 extendingthrough passages 22 in 'theV post each to a res'A ective contact pin 19to whichV it may be soldered or otherwise electrically united.

VEach conductor 111 is at one end connected through a switch 23 toanother conductor 24 inrturn connected to one side of a source 25 otelectric current, which source is diagrammatic-ally indicated in Fig. 6as a battery. lt is, however quite customary in electric organ practiceto employ a directcurrent dynamo-electric generator with an output oiabout thirty amperes at ten volts, but, of course, it will be understoodthat any suitable source oi'i current of any desirable output may beused. y

The other side of the current source 25 is connected by a conductor 26to one side ot each ot a series of electromagnets 2'!" which may beconsidered as controlling suitable organ pipes or other sounding parts.Each electromagnet 27 is conne-ted on the side remote from the conductor2G by av conductor 21 to an appropriate one ot the contar-'t pins Eachof the switches may be assumed to be under the control of a manuallyoperable stop member 29 connected to the respectivev switch 23 by a link30 or in any other suitable manner. The stops 29 may be further assumedto be located within convenient reach of the organist, as is customarywith the stops oi organs.

Gne'oie the switches 23 may be assumed to be the separation couplerswitch, whereby the notes normal to the keys will sound oh thedepression of the respective keys, another one of the switches may beassumed to be the superoctave coupler switch. still'another one of theswitches23 may be assumed to be the suboctave coupler switch, and othercoupler switches may be employed as the size and character of the organdemand.

Under the assumption that the arrangement shown in Fig. 6 is for anoctave coupler, the ymiddle key 1 is designated by the word nor-mal, theright-hand key 1 is designated by the word super-octave and theleft-hand Vkey 1 is designated by the' word sub-octava A two manualorgan could be provided with as many as iiiteen coupler switches, andthree, tour and tive manual organs with a great many more,'but thenumber oit switches Vis always relatively small per manual even with thelargest organs, so that 'twelve coupler switches may be taken about the.maximum for each manual, and twelveV contacts for each key.

Each key is provided with as many contact wires 13 and contact pins 19as there are coupler switches, so that in the diagram ot Fig. 6 withthree coupler switches 23, each key is provided with three contact wires13V and three contact pins 19. 1n the showing or' Figs. 1 vand 2 eachkey is provided lwith seven contactwires 13 and seven. pins 19. Thesenumbers, however, are to be taken merely as indicative and not asobligatory.

Urdinarily the organ key 1 is held elen vated, that is, in the uppermostposition, by the spring 9, and the spring may be adjused by the screw 10to compensate for the number of wires 13 which e-lastically resist to acertain extent the lowering or' the key by the player. such means thetouch may be readily adjusted to the proper amount, whether greater orless number' of elastic contact wires 13 be used.

1When the key 1 is depressed all of the wiresn 13 connected with the keyare moved simultaneously and to like distances, the

wires bending from the board 5 to the web 11` and the free ends of thewires 13 are lowered in the openings 18, which are made large enough forthe purpose, so that the tree ends of the wires 13 adjacent to the pins19 are ultimately brought into contact therewith, and then a furtherdepression of the key bows the wires 13, as roughly indi- .cated in Fig.e, so that there is a wiping action when the wires 13 Contact with thepins 19, and the contacting surfaces are' of the couplers are inoperation.

When the organist prepares to use the organ, the separationr switch isclosed, if previouslyv open, so that on `the depression of any key theparticular note normal to the key is vsounded. It it be desired tocouple up the keys so as to not only cause the sounding oit' the normalnotes, but the superoctave notes, then the appropriate one of ytheswitches 23, if previously open, is also closed, whereupon not only thenote controlled by the wire 13 and pin 19 included in the circuit by theseparation switch 23, but the note an octave higher is sounded at thesame time. If instead of the superoctave it be desired to sound thesuboctave, then the appropriate switch 28, if previously open, is closedand the note normal to the key and also its suboctave are simultaneouslysounded.

The same thing occursk with other 'coupler arrangements provided for bythe invention.

It has heretofore been deemed necessary in electric organ constructionto employ multiple contact switches in coupler actions, so that all thecircuits to all'the pipes or other sounding devices are closedindividually but `simultaneously atV the multiple switches, thus greatlycomplicating the 'structure and requiring the moving of relatively heavyparts each timea coupler stop was moved. l A

The complexity of the prior structures has made electric organs not onlydifficult to adn just, but has greatly increased the up-keep because theparts where trouble is liable to occur are greatly multiplied.

The invention avoids vthe necessity of employment of heavy movablemultiple switches ,for bringing coupler circuits into and out of action.rlhis is because the heavy multiple switches are each replaced by asingle-contact switch, thereby reducingY the chances of imperfectcontact or'no contact at all'just as many times as there are contacts inthe multiple switch heretofore used. While each key in the structureofthis invention has to controlseveral circuit closing devices, suchcontrol is always constant for the particular key, so that the touch ofthe key, when once adjusted, is not varied at any time.

.Moreoverg the single-contact switch requires far less electrical energyto move and hold the contact when actuated electrically, and this is ofespecial advantage when a number of couplers are drawn into actionsimultaneously, as in combination actions. Under such circumstances thesudden pull on the source of current is light and the amount of currentconsumed is small in holdingr the switches in contact, while theirrespective couplers are in service, as compared with the demand upon thecurrent source when it is necessary, as heretofore proposed, to move andhold heavy multiple switches in the closed position.

Since the coupler control switches of this invention have only smallsingle contacts in place of bulky multiple ones, and all keycontrolledcontacts are actuated by and are situated directly under respectivekeys, the whole coupler mechanism is so simplilied and small that nomatter how large a number of 'couplers it embraces, it occupies butlittle more space than is now generally used by the regular key contactsalone in electric organs.' Therefore, the whole structure is readilyinstalled in the console directly under the manual keys and isaccessible for attention without the necessity of any dismantling of theorgan. s f

Each key carries as manycontact members as there are couplerarrangements, and also is provided with a contact memberfor the soundingof the note normal .to the key. The normal circuit and each couplercircuit is under the control of a single stop-actuated switch individualthereto, the switch being located in the lcommon orreturn conductor ofthe circuit, so that a single point switch is sulicient` for eachcircuit no matter how many different keys and actuating magnets areincludedpin such particular circuit.

For' instance, it has Vheretofore been deemed necessary in electricorgans to pro* vide eachindividual coupler with a switch having as manyseparate contacts as there are notes included in that particularcoupler. Such va multipoint switch is necessarily a relatively heavymoving structure,`and considerable energy must be consumedrin the stopmechanism controlling it inV orderto move the switch. This fisobviatedbythe invention, since the multipoint switch often including as many assixty-oneY contacts is replaced by a single contact switch 23 which canbe readily operated by a single stop tablet or knob representedi'nlFig.6 at 29 or by other lsuitable means. n

The actual number of vcontacts is reduced by almost half, as eachcouplerv in systems previouslyl suggested employs a multiple switchcontaining asmany contacts as there are notes controlled by thatparticular coupler, the number of notes being either fortynine orsixty-one.

The invention provides that all key controlled contacts are made by themotion of the key itself and are therefore positively acting and do nothave to be actuated through magnetic relays operated from the keycontact or contacts.

What is claimed is l. An electric organ having keys, and couplersactuated by the keys and comprising a source of electric energy, as manyreturn conductors to the source of energy as there are couplers, aswitch in each return conductor, as many contact members under thecontrol of each organ key as there are couplers, and as many othercontact members in the path of and individual to the iio soy

irst named contact members Jrior engagement by the latter each time thekey'controlling saidl first named contact members, is depressed, wherebythe touch of the key is alwaysL the same irrespective of the number ofcouplers in action and the number of couplers put into action iscontrolled solely by the number of switches in the return circuits thatare closed. 2. In an electric organ, the combination with an organ key,of a substantially upright series of substantially horizontal contactsmovable simultaneously by Vthe key, other contacts also in uprightseries and in the path of the first named contacts for simultaneousengagement thereby, a source of electric energy, return -conductorsbetween each of the first named contacts and the source of electricenergy, and an individually movable switch in each return conductor..

3. In an electric organ, the combination with an organ key, of aplurality of movable contacts arranged in an upright series and allunder the control of the key for simultaneous movement to likedistances, a rod actuated by the key and engaging each one of thecontacts for moving the latter with the key, an upright series of othercontacts in relatively fixed relation to the irst named contacts and inthe path of the latter to be engaged thereby when the key is depressed,a source of electric energy, conductors individual to the first namedcontacts and leading to the source of energy, anda switch in each of theconductors and individual thereto, whereby one or more of the firstnamed contacts controlled by the key may be connected to the source ofelectric en* ergy. t

4. In an electric organ, the combination with a series of organ keys, ofas many pairs of associated electric contact terminals for each key asthere are couplers to be controlled by the key in addition to thenote-producing means normal to the key, a source of electric energy,electric conductors each common to and connecting all like con tacts ofall the keys of a manual, and a single switch in and individual to eachof the common conductors. Y

l5. An electric organ having keys, and couplers actuated by the keys,said couplers comprising a series of pairs of lassociated electriccontact terminals for each of the different keys, the number of pairs ofcontacts of a series being equal to the electric notesounding meansnormal to the key plus the number of coupler organizations to becontrolled by the key, a source of electric current, electricconnections for including the contact terminals in circuit with thesource of electric current, all like circuit terminals of a series ofkeys having a common connection, and a single switch for and individualto each of the common connections, for electrically connecting it to thesource of current.

6. In an electric organ, a key coupler comprising, in combination, anorgan key, an upright series of substantially horizontal elastic wireseach supported at one end and free at the other end and underlying thekey, a substantially upright rod traversed by the wires and movable bythe key for the simultaneous actuation of the wires on the depression ofthe key, aspring engaging the lower end of the upright rod and normallyopposing the depression of the key, an up;

right series of relatively fixed contacts in the paths of the free endsof the rst named contacts and individual thereto, a source of electricenergy, and means independent of the keys for connecting the key controlcontacts separately and at the will of an operator to the source ofelectrical energy.

In testimony whereof I ailiX my signature in the presence of twowitnesses.

HAROLD T. DEPUE.

Witnesses:

MABEL M. HEITZ, CHAs. E. DURNER.

